Letter: Trump must release tax returns

Since the resignation of Richard Nixon, all presidential candidates of both parties have released their tax returns prior to the election. Although Nixon didn’t resign due to his abuse of power over the IRS to prevent them from performing audits of his returns, his tax returns were as big a scandal as Watergate.

The release of tax returns is valuable as a measure of character and transparency.

Marches have been held demanding the release of the past seven years of Donald Trump’s tax returns. Did Donald Trump pay his fair share of taxes; which banks and countries does his plethora of companies owe money; and have his previous IRS audits resulted in repayment of additional taxes? The tax returns would also shed light on real and potential conflicts of interest.

Americans of all political stripes should continue to demand the release of the president’s tax returns as he promised to do.

The IRS has stated there is no reason his returns cannot be released at any time. Now he claims no one is interested in his tax returns, although recent polls show a majority are asking for his returns to be released.

When responding to a question at a newspaper editors’ conference in Florida in 1973, Nixon replied: “I welcome this kind of examination, because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook.”

What is Trump hiding? Congress should demand the release of his tax return.

This story was originally published April 18, 2017 at 11:47 AM with the headline "Letter: Trump must release tax returns."